Performance

Initiating and delivering clinical research - new national targets

The government wishes to see a dramatic and sustained improvement in the performance of providers of NHS services in initiating and delivering clinical research, in particular reducing the time taken to recruit the first patient to trials and recruiting to target. The overall aim is to increase the number of patients who have the opportunity to participate in research and to enhance the nation’s attractiveness as a host for research. Further detailed information and FAQs can be found on the National Institute for Health Research website

Therefore, all clinical research studies hosted by the Trust are subject to new performance benchmarks in initiation and delivery time:

Initiation – it should take no more than 70 days from receipt of a valid research application by the Research Office to the recruitment of the first patient to the research study (by informed consent).

Delivery – for all clinical trials hosted by the Trust, the agreed target number of patients must be recruited within the agreed timeframe.